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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. march — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chest — of your body
  11. row — a line
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — a box
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com